Kamilla Campbell knew instinctively that the lump she discovered two years ago was different from the many others she had found since she was diagnosed with fibrocystic breast disease at the age of 18.
“I’ve had multiple surgeries throughout my life to remove hard, stone-like lumps called fibroadenomas from both breasts,” says the 37-year-old Damascus, Maryland, resident. “This one was very close to my armpit and I was alarmed by how fast it was growing. So I insisted on an immediate referral to a breast surgeon. I remember thinking, ‘This thing needs to come out of me now!’”
“Fibrocystic breast disease is a benign condition that causes lumpy breast tissue,” explains Jennifer Son, MD, a breast surgical oncologist who practices at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center. “It is a very common condition in young women and does not increase the risk for breast cancer. Based on Kamilla’s history, it was reasonable to believe the lump she felt was benign—another fibroadenoma. To be sure, however, I performed an excisional biopsy to remove the lump and sent the tissue to pathology.”
“When Dr. Son told me I had stage 2A triple negative breast cancer, I was shocked, but not surprised,” says Kamilla. “My instincts had been right, and I was so glad I had been referred to her.”
Identifying a treatment plan
According to Dr. Son, this type of breast cancer is aggressive and fast growing, although Kamilla’s tumor was discovered in an early stage, when the chances for a full recovery are greater.
“Triple-negative refers to three tumor markers we test during diagnosis,” she explains. “Kamilla’s tumor lacked receptors for estrogen and progesterone, as well as HER2—a protein that can drive cancer cell growth. Because these markers were absent, hormone therapies and HER2-targeted drugs were not effective options, so we chose chemotherapy for treatment.”
“To avoid radiation, we performed a double mastectomy,” adds Dr. Son. “Kamilla opted to have breast reconstruction at the same time to avoid multiple surgeries.”
“I felt fully prepared for the chemotherapy infusions and surgeries because MedStar Montgomery provides counseling sessions that educate you about what to expect,” says Kamilla. “I started the process very aware of what the next eight months of my life would be like, which helped reduce my anxiety.”
A positive outcome
After recovering from surgery and 16 rounds of chemotherapy infusions, Kamilla says she now feels great and has regained energy for hiking and other outdoor activities with her husband and three children, ages 13, 10, and 7. In addition to periodic scans and blood tests to check for circulating tumor markers, she will continue visits with Dr. Son and her medical oncologist, Behzad Doratotaj, MD, twice a year.
“I encourage every woman to strongly advocate for herself when faced with any healthcare crisis and to stay positive no matter the diagnosis,” says Kamilla. “You know your body best, and your voice can make a huge difference in the outcome.”
View Dr. Son’s profile at MedStarHealth.org/Son or call 301-260-3292 to schedule an appointment. To view Dr. Doratotaj’s profile, visit MedStarHealth.org/Doratotaj or call 301-774-8697 for an appointment.